12-001300 Emergency Training Center Boat Equipment

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Insurance
Invitation for Bid #: 12-001300
Emergency Training Center Boat Equipment
Date of Issue: October 8, 2026
Bid Opening Date: October 27, 2026
At 2:00 PM ET
Direct all inquiries concerning this IFB to:
Sloane Chua
Procurement Manager
Email: sloane.chua@ncdoi.gov
Phone: 919-807-6038

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Invitation for Bid #
12-001300
______________________________________________________
For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of bids, provide your company's eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This
page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available
for public inspection.
This page shall be filled out and returned with your bid.
Failure to do so may subject your bid to rejection.
___________________________________________________
Vendor Name
______________________________
Vendor eVP#
Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered
Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Office of State Fire Marshal
Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this IFB to the Invitation for Bid No.: 12-001300
procurement lead through the Message Board in Bids will be publicly opened: October 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET
the Sourcing Tool. See section 2.6 for details:
Using Agency: Department of Insurance Commodity No. and Description: 251116 - Safety and rescue watercraft
Requisition No.:
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Invitation for Bid (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and
deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.
By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:
this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),
none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of
the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and
it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.
Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor's knowledge and belief, that:
it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from
covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.
As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its Sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of
this IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with
more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.
As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned Vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair
employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any
Contract arising from this solicitation.
G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans,
specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public
contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this
response to the IFB, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor's entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any
such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.
By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS
AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the Ariba Sourcing Tool.
Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal may render bid invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late bids shall not be accepted.
COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):
PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:
VENDOR'S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
VALIDITY PERIOD
Offer shall be valid for at least sixty (60) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual
agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.
ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS
If your bid is accepted, all provisions of this IFB, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between
the parties ("Contract"). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the
Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.
FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on
The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.
(Authorized Representative of Office of State Fire Marshal)
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
Contents
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND .............................................................................................. 5
1.1 CONTRACT TERM.................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ........................................................................................................ 5
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT ......................................................................................... 5
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE ........................................................................................................... 5
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................. 5
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................................ 6
2.5 BID QUESTIONS....................................................................................................................... 6
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL ....................................................................................................................... 6
2.7 BID CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................ 7
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS ..................................................... 8
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD............................................................................................................... 8
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION ........ 8
3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS .................................................................................................. 8
3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ................................................................ 9
3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES ..................................................................... 9
4.0 REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 PRICING .................................................................................................................................. 10
4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY .......................................................................................................... 10
4.3 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 10
4.4 PERSONNEL .......................................................................................................................... 10
4.5 DELIVERY ............................................................................................................................... 11
4.6 AUTHORIZED RESELLER .................................................................................................... 11
4.7 WARRANTY ............................................................................................................................ 11
4.8 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS .......................................................................................... 11
4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION .................................................. 11
4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION ............................................................................ 12
5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK ........................................................................... 12
5.1 SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................... 12
5.2 CERTIFICATION AND SAFETY LABELS .............................................................................. 15
5.3 DEVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 16
6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION .............................................................................................. 16
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
6.2 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE .......................................................... 16
6.2 INVOICES ................................................................................................................................ 17
6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................................. 17
6.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ...................................................................................................... 17
6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ......................................................................................................... 17
6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES .......................................................................................................... 17
6.7 ATTACHMENTS...................................................................................................................... 17
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The purpose of this Invitation for Bids is to seek competitive bids from qualified vendors to furnish and deliver boat equipment
for the North Carolina Emergency Training Center. The goods specified in section 5.0 will be used to provide training for first
responders in swift water environments. The goods must meet the listed specifications.
The North Carolina State Fire Marshal's Office is responsible for protecting the lives and property of North Carolina residents and
emergency responders by delivering comprehensive risk-reduction programs, high-quality fire and rescue education and training,
engineering and code enforcement, fire investigations, and emergency response coordination.
The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Specific Contract.
1.1 CONTRACT TERM
This Contract shall be a spot buy.
Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB and any addenda issued hereto.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT
This IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are
incorporated herein by reference.
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE
ATTENTION: This is an NC eProcurement solicitation facilitated by the Ariba Network. The E-Procurement fee may apply to this
solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.
General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.
What is the Ariba Network?
The Ariba Network is a web-based platform that serves as a connection point for buyers and Vendors. Vendors can log in to the
Ariba Network to view purchase orders, respond to electronic requests for quotes, participate in Sourcing Events, and collaborate
with buyers on contract documents.
For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and
submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site:
http://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/Vendor-training.
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all
relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and
specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be
issued in connection with this IFB.
If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this IFB, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with
the instructions in the BID QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions
asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an IFB addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the
possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer
period, prior to contract award.
Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or
consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's bid or otherwise. This applies to any language
appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor's bid that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors'
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
instructions herein or to render the bid non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor's bid shall constitute a firm offer
that shall be held open for the period required herein ("Validity Period" above).
The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this IFB Response,
the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall
have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon during negotiations and incorporated by way of a
Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient
grounds to reject Vendor's bid as nonresponsive.
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this IFB. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue IFB State October 8, 2026
Submit Written Questions Vendor October 16, 2026
Provide Response to Questions State October 21, 2026
Submit Bids Vendor October 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET
Contract Award State TBD
2.5 BID QUESTIONS
Upon review of the IFB documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB in order to submit the best bid
possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the "Submit Written Questions"
date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.
Questions related to the content of the solicitation, or the procurement process should be directed to the person on the title page
of this document via the Sourcing Tool's message board by the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section of this IFB.
Vendors will enter "IFB # 12-001300 - Questions" as the subject of the message. Question submittals should include a reference
to the applicable IFB section. This is the only manner in which questions will be received.
Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-
211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM ET to 5:00 PM ET.
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State's response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by
the State will be posted in the Sourcing Tool in the form of an addendum and shall become an Addendum to this IFB. No
information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question
or otherwise in connection with this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material
contained in the IFB and an addendum to this IFB.
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be
automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or
unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its bid has been received as described in this IFB by the specified
time and date of opening. Failure to submit a bid in strict accordance with instructions provided shall constitute sufficient cause
to reject a Vendor's bids(s). Solicitation responses are subject to Sealed Bidding requirements.
Vendor's bids for this procurement must be submitted through the Sourcing Tool. For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to
view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to
the following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training
Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-
211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST.
Tips for Using the Sourcing Tool
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
1. Vendors should review available training and confirm that they are able to access the Sourcing Event, enter responses,
and upload files well in advance of the date and time response are due to allow sufficient time to seek assistance from
the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk.
2. Vendors may submit their responses early to make sure there are no issues, and then submit a revised response any time
prior to the response due date and time. The State will only review the most recent response.
3. Vendors should respond to all relevant sections of the Sourcing Event. Certain questions or items are required in order to
submit a response and are denoted with an asterisk. The Sourcing Tool will not allow a response to be submitted unless
all required items are completed. The Sourcing Tool will provide error messages to help identify any required information
that is missing when response is submitted.
4. Simply saving your response in the Sourcing Tool is not the same as submitting your response to the State. Vendors should
make sure they complete the submission process and receive a message that their response was successfully submitted.
5. Only Bids submitted through the Content Section of the Ariba Sourcing Event will be considered. Bids submitted
through the Message Board will not be accepted or considered for award.
If confidential and proprietary information is included in the bid, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the bid. Such
information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public
Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services, or appropriate
portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth
above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having
received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be
confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However,
under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.
If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the bid with its bid submission, the Department may release an
unredacted version if a record request is received.
2.7 BID CONTENTS
Vendors shall provide responses to all questions and complete all attachments for this IFB that require the Vendor to provide
information and upload them to the Sourcing Event in the Sourcing Tool. Vendor may not be able to submit its response in the
Sourcing Tool unless all required items are addressed. Vendors shall provide authorized signatures where requested. Failure to
provide all required items, or Vendor's submission of incomplete items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor's bid, in the State's
sole discretion.
Vendors shall upload the following items and attachments in the Sourcing Tool:
a) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Bid Number.
b) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the IFB.
c) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this IFB, if required to be returned.
d) Vendor's Response (Section 4.5 Delivery, Section 4.6 Authorized Reseller, Section 4.7 Warranty, Section 4.10 Secretary of State
Registration, Section 5.0 Specifications, Section 6.1 Contract Manager and Customer Service).
e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING
f) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM
g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR
h) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT F: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
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Bid Number: 12-001300 Vendor: __________________________________________
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the
additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all
award decisions shall be in the State's best interest.
All responsive bids will be reviewed, and an award or awards will be based on the responsive bid(s) offering the lowest price that
meets the specifications provided herein, to include any required verifications set out here in such as but not limited to past
performance, references, and financial documents.
While the intent of this IFB is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to
different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items, or to cancel this IFB in its entirety without
awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.
The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in bids received.
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION
While this IFB is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging
in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29. of the Instructions to Vendors entitled
COMMUNICATOINS BY VENDORS
Each Vendor submitting a bid to this IFB, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is
prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government
agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the
General Assembly and Governor's office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor's bid or
qualifications, the content of another Vendor's proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract,
and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of
directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.
Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor's proposal may be
disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the
procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the
procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency
for this IFB or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this IFB regarding requirements of the IFB (prior to proposal
submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.
3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS
Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.
The State will conduct an evaluation of responsive Bids, as follows:
Bids will be received according to the method stated in the Bid Submittal section above.
All bids must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above,
unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and
the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best
interest of the State.
At the date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the bids from each
responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids)
will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is
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